louis



A. M. LANE.

FRUIT TRAY.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30, I918.

'1 ,3 1 O, 800., Patented July 22, 1919.

bar which form the frame strip onirnn srnrns PATENT orrioa.

ALFRED M. LANE, OF ST. LOUIS,

MISSOURI, ASSIGN OR TO MON ARCH METAL WEATHER STRIP COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

. FRUIT-TRAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 22, 1919.

Application filed September 30, 1918. Serial No. 256,200.

To all whom it may concern: l

Be it known that I, ALFRED M. LANE, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city souri, have invented a new and useful I111- provement in Fruit-Trays, of, which the following is a specification.

his invention relates to sheet metal trays.

for drying fruits and. particularly to trays with removable openwork bottoms adapted for facilitating the ventilation of the fruit. The principal objects of the invention are to produce a strong rigid, lightweight. tray of simple constructlon, which can be cheaply manufactured; to reduce the number of parts of the tray, and to provide 'for the easy assemblage of these parts; ,to facilitate the attachment and detachment of the removable openwork bottom; and also to pro vide a. means forstretching the removable openwork bottom over the tray frame and for securing the bottom in its stretched position to the tray frame.

The invention consists in the parts and arrangements of parts hereinafter. more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, which .forms part of this specification and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a. fruit tray embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the tray;

Fig. 3 is an enlar ed cross-sectional view of the marginal portion of the tray;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section view showingthe parts of the tray in position to be assembled;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the strip'and of the tray be.- fore these members are bent into the desired shape; and I Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the clamping before being bent into the desired shape. p

The tray shown in the drawings comprises a continuous open main frame 7, a clamping frame 8 and woven wire bottom 9. The main frame 7 is preferably made from a continuous strip ofsheet metalrolled intoua strip 10 (see Fig. 5) substantially channel shaped in cross section and bent to the ,desired contour as hereinafter mentioned. At the side margins of the strip are sheet "metal "flanges-11 and 12.which project outmedia -er rightangles from the same face of St. Louis. and State of Mis- :tinuous strip of the strip,'thus forming an outwardly facmg longitudinal groove or channel 13. The longitudinal side flange 11 projects a greater distance from ,thebody portion of the strip than the opposite flange 12, and is rebent inwardly substantially parallel with the body of the strip, as at 14, and terminates 1n a flange15which is inclined obliquely outwardly away from the body portion of the strip. While the sheet metal strip is still straight, a flat bar. 16.is placed in the groove or channel formed in the strip 10 and is spot-welded at intervals to said strip as indicated at 17in Fig. 5 of the drawing. The outer surfaoeof the bar terminates flush with the longitudinal side flange 12 of the strip thus leaving a space between the rebent portion 14 of the side flange 11 and the outer face of the bar 16. The bar 16 is of "the same length as the strip 10 and is positioned therein so. as to" project a suitable distance beyond one end of the strip and to terminate short of the strip the same distance at its opposite end' leaving a space or pocket 18. The main frame 7 is. formed by bending the strip and bar intothe desired shape, which is preferably rectangular, the opposite ends of the strip and bar being brought together at one side so as to abut. This bringing of the opposite ends of the strip together causes the projecting end of the bar 16 to enter. the space or pocket 18 in the oppositeend ofthe strip, The abutting ends of the strip are preferably buttwelded; and likewise the abutting ends of the bar are butt-welded, the lines of the two welds being offset from each other.

The clamping frame 8 is made from a conof sheet metal rolled or shaped into a strip 19 (see Fig. 6) of substantially angular section. The longer leg of the angle-shaped strip l lls provided with a V- shaped rib 20 adjacent. to its outer margin.

he clamping'frame 8 is formed by bending the strip 19 into a shape corresponding to that of themain frame 7, the opposite ends of saidstrip being brought together and butt-welded In assembling the parts of the tray,.the main frame 7 is placed bottom side up (that is with the rebent flange 14L lowermost) as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing. A woven wire fabric, which is. larger than the main frame and of a shape corresponding to that of the main frame, is then laid over the frame, and then the clamping frame 8 is positioned over the woven wire fabric with its longer, ribbed'leg extending downwardly. The clamping frame is then forced downwardly, the lower end of the ribbed legv engaging the woven wire fabric, stretching the wire fabric over the frame 8 and forcing its margin downwardly alongside of the 'fiat bar 16 of the main frame .T-untilIthe lower angle of the V-shaped rib 20 on the longer leg ofthe clamping fr me 8 seats against the outwardly inclined flange 15 of the mainframe 7. This forcing of-the clamping frame over the main frame firmly clamps the margin of the wire fabric betweenthe outer face of the main frame and the inner face of the clamping frame. While the clamping frame is frictionally held,in place on the main frame by being forced. over the same it maybe additionally held in placeby screws 21 which extend through the clamping frame and wire bottom, and-are threaded into the main frame 8, one screw being placed on each side of the frame. 1% the welded joints it is preferable --to locate a screw on each side of the joint-for strengthening purposes. a

Some of the principal advantages of a fruit tray constructed in accordance with h fQF g g d scr ption ,are its. great simplicity; its cheapness of manufacture; its great economy of materials; and thefacilit-y it affords for repair and replacement.

What I claim is:

1. A fruit tray comprising an open main frame having, an outwardly extending. top portion, said portion having agroove in its underside, an openwork bottom extending across the bottom of said frame and having its marginal portions turnedup along the outside faceof the frame,,and,a frame arranged outside of said main frame with its upper margin extending into said groove and clamping the marginal portions of the openwork bottom to said main frame.

2. vA fruit tray comprising-an .open.,main frame having; an outwardly projecting top portion, said portion havinga groove in its under side, an openwork bottom extending across the bottom of said, frame and having .its marginal portions turned-up, alongthe outside face of theframe, and a frame of angular section having a continuous rib formed therein, said frame. be ng arranged outside of said. main frame (with its, upper margin extending into said groove and clamping the marginal portionsof the openwork bottom to said main frame, and means for securing said, clamping frame to said main frame. V i 8 A. fruit tray comprising. anppen main frame having an. outwardly extending. top portion, said lportion having in itsunder side a groove whose. outside wall inclines. oute y d d v v a an remv rkf et of said bottom tom extending across the bottom of said frame and having its marginal portion turned up along the outside face of the frame, and a framefor clamping themargin to the frame, said clampin frame being adapted to embrace the outside and bottom of said main frame and having its upper margin extending intosaid groove.

4. A fruit tray comprising an open main frame having anoutwardly extending top portion, said portion having a groove in its under side, the outside wall of vwhich is inclined outwardly and downwardly, anopenwork bottom extending across .thebottom of said main frame and having its marginal portion turned up alongthe outside face of the frame, and a frame of angular section for clamping the margin of said bottomto the frame, said clamping frame being adapted to embrace the outside and bottom of the main frame ,and having a rib formed therein-adjacent toitsupper margin, the upper portion of said clamping frame extending into the groovaformed in the outwardly ex tending portion of themain frame and the rib ad acenttheretobeing adapted to bear against the inclined-wallof said groove, and means for securing said clampingframe to said main frame. I V

5. A fruitwtray comprising va-continuous wall member having achannel formed in its outer side, a bar located in said channel, the portion of the wall member located above the channel vextending outwardly beyond the outside face of said bar andhaving a continuous grooveformed in its under side, an openwork bottom having its .marginal ortions extending upwardalongside of said ar, and a clamping member forsecuring the upturned margins of said bottom to the wall member of the tray, said clamping frame having itsupper. marginslocated in the groove formed 'inthe outwardly .extending portion of the wall member of the tray.

6. A. fruit traycomprising a strip of sheet metal, of channel section, a bar located in the channel thereof and arranged to project beyond said strip at. oneflend and to; terminate short of said strip at the opposite end, the upper portion of said strip of metal extending outward beyondsaid bar and being bent down beyond the outside face of said bar to. form a continuous groove, said strip and bar being bent into a continuous frame, an. openwork bottom having its marginal portions extending upward alongside of, said bar, and a clamping member forisecuring theupturnedmargins of said bottom to said continuous frame.

ba e ate in s d shared; t e err-er iron tion of said strip of metal extending outward beyond said bar and bein bent down beyond the outside face of said ar to form a continuous groove, an openwork bottom having its marginal portions extending upward alongside of said bar, and a clamping member for securing the upturned margins of said bottom to the main frame, the upper margin of said clamping frame being adapted to extend into said groove. 10 Signed at St. Louis, Missouri, this 27 day of September, 1918.

ALFRED M. LANE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

